Then you will definitely enjoy this book! I am still at the very beginning. Shortly after arriving in Egypt ( he intentionally chose to enter through Alexandria ), he met a young man who turned out to be a Coptic Catholic. Victor told him there were many Catholics in Alexandria. He also told him that Egypt becomes more progressively Islamic all the way into Cairo. The following day, Fr. Gruber (not wearing his clericals) went down to the beach where he began building a sand castle. This intrigued a group of youths (aged 14 - 16) who came to watch with great interest. Apparently this is not a popular activity in Egypt. The boys watched with interest until one of them became very disturbed and exclaimed in Arabic "el kanessa" (a church). The boys accused him of trying to spread Christianity in Egypt by building a representation of Christian churches! Fr. Gruber was very surprised. In the book he says:
Without their knowing anything about my being a Catholic priest, I had been "discovered" as it were. The first person I met was a Catholic Copt who asked me very quickly if I am also a Catholic. The second encounter I had was with Muslim boys who accused me of trying to build a church. So it's really an interesting place of discovery for me: seeing the character of these people and how they tend to interpret everything they experience through the prism of their faith. In seconds, the boys kicked down the towers of my castle and ran away ... triumphant, or afraid?
And this is just the beginning of the book! What happens next is so intriguing, as he tries to gain access to the Coptic monasteries through the Patriarch. I just know you would enjoy this book!